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Chapters (84)
  1. BY MICHAEL C. GRUMLEY
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. EPILOGUE
  82. II
  83. III
  84. IV

“Anthropologically speaking, knowledge would be the details of how to do something.  Wisdom is more about why.  Not just what we do, but why.  Or perhaps whether we should.  Think,” she said, “about how different our view of the world is when we’re old as opposed to when we’re young.  For example, what would we do differently if we had to relive our lives?”

Both men stared at her, thinking.

“Believe it or not, most of the changes we’d make would have less to do with knowledge than wisdom, lessons we’ve learned surviving through this world.   Lessons and experiences that have shaped who we are over a long period of time.  Personal experience that is deeply individual and something no one can pass on no matter how long we live.  Knowledge yes, experience no.

“Thousands of generations, maybe tens of thousands from the dawn of time trying to pass on what they could, even as limited as they were.  Many of them had to make the same mistakes over and over.”

Townsend smiled.  “Wisdom is non-transferable.”

“Exactly.  Even the transfer of basic knowledge has its problems, which is why early civilizations evolved so much slower over time, with great difficulty and struggle just to survive.”

“Egypt survived.”

She nodded at Townsend.

“But you can’t find any of its evolution.”

“Not like we should have.”

“That is puzzling indeed.”

“Which is also why experts unable to find Egypt’s early beginnings are now beginning to ask another, bigger question—which is if Egypt’s cultural sophistication did manage to spring forth somehow faster than any of the others… where exactly did it come from?”

47

47

The glass doors were pushed open in a rush, allowing Omar and Mona into the dimly lit reception of Omar’s office. He stormed forward, briskly passing through a short hallway and into a broad open office area where dozens of half-height cubicles sat empty and silent, barely illuminated by a handful of overhead florescent tubes.

Through the windows, the outside sky had grown dark and projected the city's lights several stories below, stretching out to form the rest of Cairo’s immense cityscape.

Mona walked as fast as she could, sometimes trotting to keep up while simultaneously talking into her phone.

“We’re here,” she breathed heavily, increasing her pace once again to catch Omar, who’d turned another corner and was heading for his office. The rest of the suite appeared empty except for the one office on the far side of the open floor plan.

Once they reached Omar’s door, he unlocked it with a key and strode in, barely breaking stride.  He circled the desk and sat down while Mona pulled a chair up next to him.